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Originally Posted by JohnClif
...and healthcare 'reform' (as opposed to true reform).
Here in the USA we have government-run healthcare programs: Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans' Administration (VA) for military and ex-military who are retired. Medicare and Medicaid are going broke. The VA has an unfortunately well-deserved reputation for delivering substandard medical care... and it's going broke, too. The less said about the pathetic government-provided health care on Indian ('native American') reservations, the better.
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Ok, why do you think they are going broke? Well, politicians have stolen from the coffers for other business and that has happened primarily under conservative white houses. Also, the elder population in this country is growing huge while the younger generation is not, in fact, it is far less than the elder. Now, if you put everyone in the pool together, that will not be the case in terms of having financial difficulty.
Also, there is an incredibly high approval rating of medicare by seniors. Sorry man, you're wrong on this one and the talking point is so abused it's not even funny.
It's rare that hospitals wave the bills and people are often stuck with the $40,000 bill or more. Dude, that is so one instance. The fact is, the conservatives have lied, cheated and propagandized an idea that has worked really well in other countries. We are the US. We used to lead and now we are so far behind (not only on health care).
You also pointed out why a universal system is better. If a Tylenol is $70 per person because of the ones handed out for free, placing everyone in the same pool would reduce the cost due to the mass of people.
Tort reform will do nothing. It is a state's power not a federal power to prosecute local medical malpractice and insurance complaints. Sorry man, that will do diddly. Frankly the states have had their chance to make good on that and some have. In some states, tort reform has lowered the cost of court cases and yet the health insurance industry has lowered no costs. Big surprise... they are greedy. They don't care about anyone.
Catastrophic health insurance will do nothing. A lot of what we pay for is people showing up at the ER with the Flu. It's ridiculous. Under your idea, we would still be paying tons of money for the same crap.
So why do countries with both a public and private option still have private options? If the fact that a public option is put into place will kill private companies, why does it not happen everywhere else?
Sorry, I have no patience with this "you're stealing from me." Americans can be so selfish it drives me nuts. Frankly, I say too bad. You can help your neighbor and actually live with the knowledge that you can help others. It's a great thing to live in a more just society. I'm not going to cry that junior can't buy one more ps3 game because his parents had to pay a bit more in taxes (which they will be using as health care themselves unless they go with a private option). The fact is, places like socialist countries in Europe are doing far better financially and are far more stable than our own country. This whole idea that we are this hyper-individualistic group of people is bogus (it is not based in reality). Frankly, one who consumes a lot more than another already affects the population. For example, I have always chosen to drive a low mile per gallon car. People who drive gas guzzling SUV's drive the price of gas up for me. They say it is their free right to shaft everyone else. Well, in regards to health insurance, it should never be that way. We need to take care of our own. How come we can build the biggest most insane, stupid military complex in the world and give billions to Iraq and Afghanistan, but the second we want to provide for our own citizens, it's steeling and evil?
The health insurance companies are greedy. They are the bad guys and they are bribing politicians to keep them in business so they can continue to take our money, raise prices, and kill our economy while they pay their CEO's gajillions of dollars. Unlike other commodities, health care should NEVER be for profit.
Ok, done.... breath... breath